


Only You

by 870pages



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Chiara is just confused, Depression, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drama, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Frustration, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Insomnia, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, My First Fanfic, OC needs a hug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Slow Burn, Some references to canon but mostly AU, Teen Angst, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, at least mostly, wow this ended up being a lot of tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28067379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/870pages/pseuds/870pages
Summary: ON HIATUS. Chiara Lobosca likes you. You like Chiara. Neither of you have any idea that the other likes you. Partially from OC's pov, partially from Chiara's pov. This is my first fic. Compliments, criticism, and kudos are all appreciated!
Relationships: Chiara Lobosca & Original Male Character(s), Chiara Lobosca/Player Character, Chiara Lobosca/You
Comments: 26
Kudos: 40





	1. Where it all began

**Author's Note:**

> Y/N stands for Your Name, so you can ship your own MC here if you wish. See end notes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 1 and 2 will be preface chapters, to set the scene for what's happening when we get into the real story in Chapter 3.

“Chiara, what the hell?!”

Crap.

The curse breaker had returned early.

Chiara had been feeling more and more troubled since the last full moon, so she had started reading Lupine Lawlessness: Why Werewolves Don’t Deserve to Live. Y/N knew she was a werewolf. That’s why he had reacted this way. This also wasn’t the first time that Y/N had seen her reading this book. Chiara knew he had detention again that night down in the Kitchens, so of course she had the bright idea to take the book out again and start reading it in the common room, since no one else was around this late. She didn’t know why she was reading it, just that it dulled some of her feelings. These damn feelings. That was where the problem was. She liked Y/N. A lot. 

“I- I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“I don’t want you to be sorry! I want you to be happy! That’s why I hate it when you torture yourself by reading that.”

“I just felt like I needed to.” Chiara responded.

As soon as Chiara said it, she knew it was a mistake.

“What?! Why in the absolute hell would you need to read something like that?”

“I… don’t know.”

Well, at least that was partially the truth.

Y/N sighed. 

“I don’t want to be angry at you, Chiara.”

Chiara hated this even more than she hated it when Y/N was angry. She hated how he cared so much about everyone that he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry for more than a minute, even when someone really deserved it. Above all, she hated feeling like she had disappointed him.

Meanwhile, Y/N wasn’t exactly sure what to make of Chiara’s silence. 

“Okay, well, it’s been a long night, so I think I’m going to go to bed.” Y/N said.

“All right. Good night, Y/N.” She responded.

“Good night, Chiara.”

Chiara was naturally very shy, and was not the type to socialize much or approach others, preferring to read. That’s exactly what she had been doing when she first met Y/N. She had been curled up in an armchair in the Hufflepuff common room, when the tall curse breaker had come over to her, and introduced himself with a smile. That was when this whole mess she found herself in had started.

With a crush.

Chiara wasn’t used to meeting new people, as she had not had many friends before Hogwarts, and certainly hadn’t had a crush on anyone- until she met Y/N. She had had a very close friend when she was growing up, but after she had told her friend about her lycanthropy, her friend had not wanted anything to do with her. Chiara had been heartbroken over this, and began to shut others out to prevent more sadness, not realizing how lonely it is without friends. 

However, right away, she knew that Y/N was different from anyone else she had ever met. His kindness, his smile, his sparkling blue eyes... Chiara had nearly fainted after he introduced himself, barely managing to squeak out “I’m Chiara”. After he had smiled again, said “Nice to meet you, Chiara”, and departed, she started berating herself. “I can’t get emotionally attached to someone and lose them again.”, she thought. But how could she ignore someone so seemingly perfect?

Chiara thought back to this exchange after Y/N had gone to bed. She had tried to be nice to him after they had met, but she just couldn’t cope with the possibility of losing another person that she cared so much about. Chiara did not want to grow closer to Y/N only to have her heart broken again, so she tried to stay away from him. She resolved never to tell him about her lycanthropy. However, after being attacked by Fenrir Greyback and his werewolf pack, she knew she had no choice. He had stepped in to do everything he could to save her, even at the risk of his own life. The least she could do to repay him was to be honest with him. 

When Chiara told Y/N that she was a werewolf, he had shocked her out of her mind by hugging her tightly. She had never even been hugged by someone outside of her family since she had lost her best friend, and this brought all of her memories flooding back. It was too much to contain, and she burst into tears. She still remembered this moment with Y/N like it had been yesterday. This was when Chiara had decided she could let him closer to her. She had never seen Y/N as happy as he was when she had invited him to study with her, just the two of them.

Chiara had begun to fall in love with Y/N at the end of their third year. She had a childish crush on him from the night she had met him, but her feelings for Y/N had matured after being around him more often. She wasn’t sure if it was common to fall in love at age fourteen, but she knew perfectly well that she had, just the same. Now, the only problem was her old insecurities. After losing her best friend, she had felt like she would never be good enough for others to like her regardless of her lycanthropy, but now that she had found someone that she truly loved who also accepted her, she was scared. She had no experience in this area, so she decided to seek out someone who did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't yet know how long this story will go on, and I have no idea if it's any good or not. This is my first fanfic, and compliments, criticism, and kudos are all greatly appreciated!


	2. Falling for a wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is from the OC's pov, just to give a bit more context to the setting of this story. The good stuff starts in the next chapter!

Entering the Hufflepuff common room after an exhausting detention in the Kitchens with Pitts, Y/N was met with the sight of Chiara Lobosca reading Lupine Lawlessness again. He just couldn’t understand why she wanted to read the vile and biased opinions that book held.

On his way to bed after saying good night to Chiara, he started thinking deeply.

Y/N knew that Chiara liked him well enough, but he didn’t feel comfortable enough with her to have a longer conversation about exactly why he had reacted the way he did. He knew why he had, but he knew that he wasn’t ready to tell Chiara the way he felt about her. He didn’t feel like he had spent enough time with her, for one, but that wasn’t for lack of trying, he thought, slowly descending the stairs toward the boys’ dorms.

He had gone over to her on their first night at Hogwarts, after noticing her off reading by herself in the common room. He had greeted her, just trying to be polite, but when she turned to look at him, he knew he had met someone who was much more than a loner. If there was one thing he had always prided himself on, it was being a good judge of character. He had seen the apprehension in her eyes, but he had also seen hope. This hope was what he thought about every night before going to sleep. He revisited it as he slipped into bed, his mind still buzzing with activity.

He had liked her from the moment he saw her. She was unafraid of doing things differently. She was a fellow avid reader. He was dying to get to know her better, but Chiara was incredibly reserved. It was not easy to earn her trust or learn more about her. He had repeatedly tried to engage with her during their first few years at Hogwarts, but to no avail. 

He had finally started to get a bit closer to Chiara, and she had finally admitted to him that she thought of him as a friend. This simple sentence had made him happy and made him terribly sad at the same time. He was glad to have her think more positively of him, but he had become more and more attracted to her over the years they had spent at Hogwarts, and now, at the beginning of their fourth year, he knew he liked her as much more than a friend…

He loved her smile, it made him feel giddy with happiness every time he saw it. He loved her hair, how it reflected the light, and how soft it was (after the one occasion on which he had been lucky enough to touch it). He loved her personality, how cheerful she was when she let her guard down, how kind and generous she was to everyone she met. He loved her scent, faintly like vanilla and cinnamon.

It was so many things he had fallen in love with, yet they were ultimately all one. Chiara. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback of all types is always appreciated! I've never written anything like this before, but if there are people out there somewhere who are reading it, I hope you enjoy it!


	3. Psychiatric help, 5 cents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chiara seeks out her friend Penny Haywood to help her deal with her feelings toward Y/N.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a nod to Lucy van Pelt :)

“Penny, could I talk to you for a minute?” Chiara asked.

“Of course, Chiara. I always have time for you.” 

Chiara had awoken the next morning full of determination to stop shielding herself from Y/N. She had decided to seek the help of Penny Haywood, her roommate and best friend. She had found her in the common room, and gotten right to the point.

“I need advice about a boy.”

Penny was rather surprised. Whenever Chiara had come to talk to her before, it had always been about something trivial like her potions homework. However, she had suspected that Chiara had feelings for a certain tall curse breaker for quite a while.

“Is this about Y/N?” Penny asked.

Chiara hadn’t expected that. Had she really been that obvious?

“How did you know?” 

Penny looked deep in thought. “I’ve seen the way you look at him. I just hope you let yourself pursue something that you really want for once. I know that you’re nervous about losing people who are close to you, but you can’t let that stand in the way of what you really want.”

Chiara had never quite realized just how good of a friend Penny Haywood was until this moment. 

“Thank you, Penny.”

“For what? I haven’t even started advising you yet.”

“Just for caring so much.”

Penny’s face softened. 

“Always, Chiara. Now, let’s talk about Y/N. What do we know about him?”

“You mean aside from the fact that he’s saved the entire school multiple times, he’s helped Hufflepuff win the House Cup the last three years, he’s won the Quidditch Cup, and is the most attractive boy in the school?” She blurted.

Oops. She hadn’t meant to let that last part slip out.

Penny’s lips twitched, as she tried not to laugh out loud at the preposterousness of this situation. Chiara Lobosca, normally incredibly reserved and shy, not one to show her emotions, desperately in love.

“Yes, I mean apart from those minor trivialities.” Penny smirked.

Chiara, already blushing furiously, said “Well… his favorite classes are Charms and Potions. He likes spending time down by the lake. He’s an eagle animagus, and he knows about my lycanthropy. He even flew over to the Shrieking Shack to keep me company the morning after a full moon, once I had turned back into myself.” Chiara said, blushing redder still.

This startled Penny. “He- he did?” 

“Yes.”

“But if he were caught out of bounds, especially there, he’d likely be put into detention permanently, if he wasn’t expelled!”

“I told him that. He said that it was worth taking the risk to be with me.”

Penny sat back in her chair by the fire, stunned. She had thought Y/N had feelings for Chiara as she did for him, but she had no idea he felt this strongly about her.

“Wow, Chiara. Do you want me to tell you what I honestly think?”

“Yes, Penny. I need help with this.” Chiara responded.

“If he did that just to be with you, and told you that’s why he did it, that makes me think that he’s not just doing the right thing, or it’s some idea he’s come up with recently, Chiara. That isn’t the kind of thing you would do just because it seemed like a good idea. That is something driven by more than just being a good person, which I know he is. In fact, I believe that’s something that’s driven by the very same thing that I see in you when you’re with him.”

“And what is that?” Chiara asked.

“Love.” Penny responded simply.

“Wait, what?!”

“I think he’s in love with you.”

Chiara had no idea what to say. Her mind was blank. She had hoped for this more and more the longer she had known Y/N, but she needed to know for sure. However, she was scared. What if he was just the incredibly kind and generous person she had come to love, and had done this just because he wanted to? Would he have done this for anyone?

Penny watched Chiara, who was clearly lost in thought. Suddenly, Penny had the perfect idea to help both Y/N and Chiara get to know each other better, and come to realize the feelings the other had for them. All she needed was someone to help her put her idea in motion.

“Chiara, would you meet me down by the lake tomorrow after our classes?”

Chiara started, wrenching her imagination away from a scene depicting her alone with Y/N, with him confessing his love to her. 

“Tomorrow? Er, yeah, sure.” She replied hastily.

“Excellent. I haven’t been sleeping very well lately, so I’m going to go to bed. Good night, Chiara!” Penny said, leaving Chiara to her very confused thoughts.

ooOoo

The next day, Chiara struggled through her day of classes with Y/N, Penny, Tonks, and the rest of the Hufflepuff 4th years. It was almost unbearable to be around Y/N for such long periods of time while hearing Penny’s words ringing in her ears. 

She was daydreaming a bit (or possibly more than a bit) in Herbology that day, and as a result, she spilled Screechsnap seedlings all over the greenhouse floor, gave her plants the wrong type of food, and forgot to fertilize the Shrivelfigs they had been tending to. As a result, Professor Sprout asked her to stay behind following the lesson.

Feeling gloomy, Chiara approached her head of house while her classmates filed out the door. 

“Chiara, what was going on today? I know you’re a much better student than this. Is everything all right?” Sprout asked.

“Yes, Professor. I was a bit distracted, but I’m fine. I’ll do better in the next lesson.” 

“Okay, Chiara, that’s all I was wondering. Have a good rest of your day.”

“You too, Professor.” Chiara replied.

How had she allowed her mind to wander so much while she was in class? Herbology was one of her favorite lessons, and was critical to her becoming a healer, which was the career she had always aspired to pursue. As she walked back towards the castle, passing the other greenhouses, she was lost in thought again, but this time thinking about her career and classes. However, even with the subject of her thoughts changed, she still failed to notice what was around her.

“Psst- Chiara!”

She knew that voice anywhere. It was Y/N. She turned and saw a large eagle with a bronze beak looking quizzically at her from its perch on top of a few crates stacked near one of the greenhouses. She sighed.

“Very funny, Y/N.”

The bird hopped down from its perch, and suddenly she found herself looking straight into the blue eyes of the curse breaker who she had come to love. 

His eyes twinkled. “I’m glad you think so!”

Chiara sighed. “Look, Y/N, do you want something, or can you just leave me alone?”

She hadn’t meant that to come out as angry and irritated as it had.

Y/N’s face fell, the twinkle fading from his eyes. “I- I just wanted to check on you to see if you were okay. You seemed a bit distracted in Herbology.” 

Of course. Of course he had noticed. With his damn feelings radar, she assumed this must have been a walk in the park for him. Chiara still had no idea how he always knew what everyone was thinking, and she’d been trying to figure it out since first year.

“I’m fine, Y/N. I don’t need your help.” She said sharply.

What was WRONG with her? Why was she being so cruel? Her brain hadn’t even registered what she was about to say until it was too late.

“Okay, Chiara. I’ll see you around.” He said, looking dejected. He started slowly walking toward the castle. 

Chiara stood, frozen. She had never talked to Y/N like that before. What on earth had made her start behaving like that toward him? She had always been shy around him, but she had no idea why she had started acting so blunt and rude when he had done nothing but come to check on her. Chiara felt tears start to well up in her eyes. She looked up, hoping to see him still outside the castle. No such luck.

Chiara didn’t know what to do. So, she went down to the lake to wait for Penny, and did her crying there, alone. She had no idea that Y/N had already transformed back into his eagle form and flown down to the shore of the lake, too. They may have been separated by a wall of trees, but there were two fourteen-year-olds crying their hearts out right there on the shore of the lake that day, each pining for the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time attempting to write this kind of story, I hope it's all right so far. All types of feedback are appreciated! 
> 
> I also recently posted the first part of a threeshot Christmas Chiara x MC story. I'd really appreciate it if you would check it out!


	4. At the Black Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chiara and Y/N find themselves in very similar situations.

Y/N had no idea what he had done to make Chiara act that way toward him. He assumed he must have done something that had really upset her, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what. That’s how he found himself sobbing on the shore of the Black Lake. He couldn’t remember the last time he had cried, let alone cried like this. It was possuble he never had. But then again, he knew he had never experienced the feelings he had for Chiara before, either. He knew that what she had said shouldn’t have made him feel like this, but he had always felt like he was pining after someone who had no interest in him. In his view, this just confirmed how he thought Chiara felt about him, and try as he might, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his soul had been crushed one final time by the girl he loved, who didn’t seem to love him back. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

ooOoo

Penny walked toward the lake with Tonks in tow. Earlier, she had outlined her plan to Tonks and asked her to assist with it. Tonks had thought it was hilarious that two of their most reserved friends were so deeply head over heels for each other, and immediately accepted. 

The first step of Penny’s plan was to talk to Chiara about going down to Hogsmeade with a group of their friends. Penny talked with Tonks about possible strategies for getting their two friends together as they approached the lakeshore. Penny looked around for Chiara, and saw someone sitting near the edge of the Black Lake, their robes trimmed with Hufflepuff yellow. 

“There she is, Tonks.” Penny said excitedly.

“Brilliant!” Tonks said, narrowly avoiding falling down after tripping over a tree root.

Penny ran up to the student with the Hufflepuff robes, believing it to be Chiara. 

“Hey, Chiara!” She said brightly.

Penny was absolutely stunned to see Y/N turning around, hastily wiping tears from his eyes. 

“Y/N? What are you doing here? And are you okay?” Penny asked concernedly. She had never seen Y/N cry before, or look nearly as sad and heartbroken as he did now.

“Um, yes, Penny, I’m fine.” Y/N choked out.

“Oh come off it, Y/N. You’re sitting on a rock by the lake crying your eyes out. You’re clearly not fine.” Tonks said, catching up with Penny. 

“Er... I’d rather not talk about it.” Y/N said in a small voice that was drastically different from his usual cheerful tone.

“That’s too bad, because you don’t have a choice. We’re your friends, you can tell us about things like this.” Tonks said. 

Penny watched the brief exchange between Y/N and Tonks with growing panic. Y/N was never like this. He was always cheerful, lighting up a room with his presence. Seeing him slumped on a rock by the lake looking completely and utterly dejected was one of the strangest and most frightening things she had ever seen.

“Okay, Tonks, I guess I could tell you two… but I don’t want you to tell anyone else, okay?”

“Deal.” Penny and Tonks said, walking over to the large rock and sitting on either side of Y/N.

“Well, the thing that’s making me upset (“That’s an understatement.” Tonks whispered) has been going on pretty much since I arrived at Hogwarts.” Y/N said.

“Is it about the vaults?” Penny asked.

“No, it’s actually about Chiara.” Y/N said.

Penny and Tonks exchanged a surprised look. “Chiara?”

“Yeah. I’ve tried so hard to be nice to her, but she’s always been so shy. She’s never let me get close at all to her. Chiara started letting me study with her occasionally at the end of last year, but this year, she’s gone right back to being distant with me. And today, after Herbology, I waited for her to make sure she was okay, and she got angry with me. I just don’t know what to do. Penny, I think you know how I feel about her. I’d do anything for her. But at this point it seems like she doesn’t even like me, let alone feel the way toward me that I do toward her.”

Penny and Tonks exchanged stunned looks this time. Y/N, the always cheerful curse breaker, was this upset over a girl not ‘liking’ him? And not just any girl, but the same girl that was desperately in love with him? The same girl that the two of them were trying to help understand that Y/N had feelings for her as well? And hadn’t Y/N always been able to read people’s feelings like they were a book? What was going on this time?

“Wow. I thought you liked her, but I didn’t know you felt this strongly about her, Y/N.” Penny said, still in shock over the absurdity of the situation. 

“Well, I do, and I have since last year.”

“Well, I've got an idea, Y/N. Why don’t you come with us and some of our friends to Hogsmeade? That might help take your mind off this and allow you to have a bit of fun.” Penny said brightly. 

“I don’t know… I’m not really in a fun-having mood.”

Now, Penny and Tonks exchanged thunderstruck looks. Whether it was setting up a prank with Tonks and Tulip, playing Gobstones with Rowan or Penny, or practicing Quidditch with Skye, Charlie or Andre, it seemed like Y/N never stopped having fun, not even when he was studying. Even then Y/N made it fun! He would challenge his study partner to memorize more names than him, practice Charms on an unsuspecting Filch, or Transfigure a book to make it read its words out loud. How he got any work done was a mystery to all, but he finished close to the top of the class in every lesson.

Now, he was saying he didn’t feel like having fun?

“Well, I think it would do you some good to get away from Hogwarts for a bit, Y/N. And who better to help you cheer up than your friends?” Tonks asked.

“I suppose that’s a good point, Tonks. I’ll come with you, but I don’t want to stay out for too long.”

“Yes!” Penny said happily, throwing her arms around Y/N. 

“When should we go?” Tonks asked.

“It’s getting a bit late to ask our friends to come, so let’s go tomorrow evening.” Penny said, arms still around Y/N.

“Sounds good to me.” Y/N said, also still hugging Penny.

Tonks smirked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you two were the ones in love. But, I suppose nothing is ever simple with you, is it, Y/N?”

“Nope!” Y/N said with a grin, seeming a bit more like himself.

“See you tomorrow, Y/N!” Penny and Tonks said, starting to walk back up to the castle.

Suddenly, Penny grabbed Tonks’ arm. “Tonks, wait! Remember why we were down at the lake in the first place?”

Tonks frowned for a second in confusion, then her eyes opened wide. “Oh no! We forgot Chiara!”

The two Hufflepuff girls frantically ran toward a different part of the Black Lake, trying to find Chiara before it got too dark. “Chiara!” “Chiara, are you here?” 

Penny abruptly stopped in her tracks. “Tonks, look.” Tonks gazed over toward the trees on the west shore of the lake. There was Chiara, sitting on the stump of a fallen tree. Crying. 

“Wow, this looks familiar.” Tonks said, rolling her eyes.

ooOoo

Chiara hadn’t cried this hard and this long since she had lost her best friend at age nine. She didn’t understand why or how she had talked to Y/N like that. She felt almost like someone else had been controlling her body. She vaguely remembered coming down to the lake with the intention of meeting Penny, but so far she hadn’t seen anyone around. Suddenly, Chiara heard someone burst out of the bushes behind her. She whipped around. “Tonks?” Chiara asked, her voice still quivering from crying. “What are you doing here?” Tonks grinned and gestured behind her toward Penny, who was walking toward them with a smile on her face. 

“She’s with me!” Penny said.

“Penny? What took so long?” Chiara asked.

“Er… we got held up a bit before we could make it down here.”

“Okay.” Chiara sighed. “So why did you ask me to meet you here?”

“I just thought it would be a peaceful place for us to visit. What’s made you so upset, Chiara? Penny asked.

“I’ve done something bad.” Chiara said.

“What? What do you mean?” Penny said worriedly.

“Well, after Herbology, Y/N came to check on me. He just wanted to make sure I was okay after I did so badly during class, but I was really rude to him. He asked if I was okay, and I told him to leave me alone, and said I didn’t need his help.” Chiara said, tears starting to well up in her eyes again. “I know that doesn’t sound terrible, but I feel terrible. He was just trying to help, and I acted that way toward him…” Tears were starting to fall again. “I actually do want his help. And I don't want him to leave me alone. I don't know what's wrong with me. He’s never going to love me. He shouldn’t, either.” She said, sniffling.

“Chiara! You’ve got to give yourself a break! You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. Just try to apologize to him if you feel that badly about it.” Penny implored.

“And I have it on pretty good authority that he already does love you, Chiara.” Tonks added.

“What? From who?” Chiara asked, wiping her eyes.

“I can’t reveal my sources.” Tonks said with a chuckle. “Let’s just say this person is familiar with Y/N’s feelings.”

“Chiara, I think it would be good for you to come with us to Hogsmeade.” Penny put in. “It would help you feel better and give you some time to spend with your friends. We’re going tomorrow evening.” 

“Well… if you say so.”

“I most certainly do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying the story so far!


	5. Off to Hogsmeade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang meets up to have some fun in Hogsmeade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone!

Penny and Tonks had managed to gather everyone in the entrance hall from their usual group except for one. Penny, Tonks, Tulip, Charlie, Rowan, Barnaby, and even Y/N were there. But where was Chiara? Penny and Tonks began to worry when she still wasn’t there five minutes after they had agreed to meet. But finally, Chiara rushed into the entrance hall. 

“Hi everyone, sorry I’m- “ Her words stuck in her throat as she saw Y/N in the group. Why hadn’t she thought of this? Of course he would be there. Oh no. The last thing she wanted right now was to meet Y/N right after she had spent the whole day avoiding him during their lessons. She hadn’t wanted to face him after what had happened yesterday after Herbology, but it looked as though she didn’t have a choice.

“Okay, now that everyone’s here, let’s get going!” Penny said, attempting to cover for Chiara’s sudden silence. The sounds of friendly talk and laughter broke out as they exited the entrance hall and walked toward Hogsmeade as a group. 

“Now, where should we go first, you lot?” Tonks asked as they arrived at the village.

“Shall we go to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer?” Tulip suggested. “It’s a bit cold.”

Everyone agreed to this, and they all entered the pub. They chose to sit in a corner booth where they could all fit. Chiara glanced behind her as she sat down, and saw Y/N was near the back of the group. Good. She might be able to avoid talking to him too much. But as the next person slid into the booth next to her, she was shocked to see that it was Y/N. He must have swapped places in line with someone else. But why?

Madam Rosmerta came over to take everyone’s order. Unsurprisingly, everyone ordered butterbeer. “I can’t wait until we’re of age and we can come in here and drink firewhiskey.” Tonks said mischievously as Madam Rosmerta left. Y/N laughed. “I think I’ll leave the firewhiskey to you, Tonks.” Chiara still couldn’t get comfortable with being so close to Y/N. She still felt guilty about how she had treated him yesterday. As talk erupted around the table, Y/N leaned a bit closer to Chiara.

“You’ve seemed a bit down, Chiara. Are you all right?” He asked.

Chiara was getting a little sick of his feelings sensor. She didn’t understand it, and she was getting frustrated trying to figure it out. 

“I’m fine, Y/N.” She said shortly.

“Okay. And I wanted to tell you I don’t blame you for what happened after Herbology. It was obvious you weren’t having a good day, so I should have just left you alone. I was a bit worried about you, though. I know you’re not normally like that.” 

Ugh. Now the loyal git was trying to take the blame for her mistake? What a Hufflepuff he was. “It wasn’t your fault, Y/N. It was mine. I shouldn’t have acted that way toward you, especially when you were just trying to help.” There. At least she had managed that interaction with Y/N without royally screwing it up.

“It’s okay, Chiara. Don’t worry about it.” Y/N said with a reassuring smile.

“Okay, everyone, let’s play truth or dare!” Penny suggested to everyone.

“Brilliant, Penny! I love truth or dare. Charlie said, rubbing his palms together. 

“Okay, who would like to go first?” Penny continued. 

“I will!” Barnaby volunteered. “Okay, truth or dare?” Penny asked. “Truth.” Penny thought for a moment, and said “What’s the longest you’ve spent with a magical creature?” Barnaby responded “I once spent nearly three hours playing with Puffskeins and Crup puppies!” 

“Excellent! Now, ask someone else.” 

“Okay.” Barnaby mused. “Andre! Truth or dare?” “Dare!” Andre replied. “Andre, I dare you to bring a Puffskein with you to your next Quidditch practice!” Barnaby proclaimed. Immediately, everyone else at the table burst into laughter, even Chiara. And she had to admit, it felt good to laugh.

“Hmm…” Andre thought. “Charlie! Truth or dare? He asked. “I’ll take a dare!” Charlie said. “I dare you to go up to Zonko’s, buy a nose-biting teacup, and set it in front of Merula at breakfast tomorrow!” Andre said. Again, everyone laughed, thinking about the sight of Merula getting her nose bitten by a teacup. 

“Chiara! Truth or dare?” Charlie spoke suddenly. Chiara was caught off guard. “Er, truth?” “Okay. Do you have a crush on anyone?” Charlie asked, leaning forward eagerly. Oh no, Chiara though. “Do I have to answer that?” She asked quietly, trying to avoid looking at Y/N. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Chiara.” Tonks cut in suddenly. “I think I’d rather not.” Chiara said, quieter still. She didn’t notice Y/N’s face fall slightly next to her. 

“Okay. Then, what’s your favorite class?” Charlie asked. That one she could answer. “My favorite class is either Charms or Herbology.” 

She thought about who to ask next, and settled on her best friend. “Penny, truth or dare?” “I’ll do a dare!” Penny said adventurously. “Okay. I dare you to paint your face entirely yellow for Hufflepuff’s next Quidditch game.” “All right! I usually wear some face paint anyway, so I can do it!” Penny responded. 

“Y/N, truth or dare?” Penny asked. “Truth, I suppose. Y/N said. “Is there anyone at this table that you’d like to kiss?” Penny said, smiling mischievously. Y/N felt his face go hot “...Yes” He responded, eliciting a round of wolf-whistles and giggles. Chiara went numb. She knew Y/N thought of their housemates Penny and Tonks as friends, and just friends. She didn’t know who he was talking about. 

Madam Rosmerta interrupted Chiara’s train of thought by appearing with their butterbeers. Everyone had been thirsty from all the laughing they had been doing, so they stopped the game and mostly focused on drinking. As everyone finished their butterbeers, they agreed that they would visit Zonko’s before heading back to the castle.

Once they arrived at the joke shop, Tonks and Tulip were in their element. They made lots of purchases and recommended items to others in the group too. Charlie picked out a nose-biting teacup to try out on Merula, so he could follow through with his dare from Andre. Unfortunately for her, Chiara had been walking by Tonks when the clumsy witch tripped, and knocked into a display of Dungbombs. Chiara gasped. They were falling straight toward her. Suddenly, a pair of firm hands pushed her back out of harm's way. Chiara watched in horror as the person who had saved her, Y/N, was hit with the entire display’s worth of Dungbombs. 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry, Y/N!” Tonks moaned.

“It’s okay, Tonks. I was planning to take a bath tonight anyway.” Y/N said, trying to make a joke out of it.

Chiara didn’t know what to make of this. Why had Y/N sacrificed himself so she wasn’t hit with the Dungbombs? 

The rest of the group came around the corner to find Y/N picking himself up from an enormous pile of Dungbombs. “Are you all right, Y/N?” Charlie asked.

“I’m fine, Charlie. You might want to stay away from me for a bit, though.” Y/N chuckled.

“Well, we were about ready to head back to Hogwarts, Y/N.” Andre said. 

“Okay, I think I’m ready also. It might do me some good to get a bit of fresh air, too.” Y/N said wryly. 

Chiara wasn’t sure how Y/N was able to laugh about the situation he was in, and make it into a joke. She would have been mortified if she was in his position. She nearly had been, too. 

On their way back to Hogwarts, Penny fell into step with Chiara. “What happened with Y/N and the Dungbombs?” She asked.

“Tonks accidentally knocked a display of them over, and they would have hit me, but Y/N pushed me out of the way, and let them hit him instead.”

Penny’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Chiara, can’t you see what I’ve been talking about? He did that for you, and you heard him during truth or dare. There was someone at the table he wanted to kiss, and we know perfectly well it wasn’t Tonks, or me, and it probably wasn’t Tulip.”

Chiara was still not sure. She knew Y/N cared about her, but she didn’t know if he liked her the way she liked him. “I guess I see what you’re talking about, but how do I know? We know he’s really nice, so what if he’s been kind to me all this time just because he’s that type of person?”

Penny restrained herself from rolling her eyes with great difficulty. “Chiara, we’ve already been over this. He’s a caring person, and he cares about his friends. I can see why you’ve fallen in love with him, and I honestly think he feels the same way about you.” She said.

“Well, maybe.” Chiara said, allowing herself to hope a bit. Perhaps there was a chance after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested, I completed a short threeshot Christmas Chiara/MC story today. If you've enjoyed this story, you might want to check it out!


	6. What next?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N meets with a friend, and some unforeseen circumstances arise.

The next day was Sunday. Y/N was heading down to the greenhouses, having been asked to meet there by Charlie. When he arrived, it was to find Charlie looking quite nervous. 

“What’s going on, Charlie?” Y/N asked.

“I went through on the dare from Andre, and pranked Merula with a nose-biting teacup. She was really mad. I think she might have known it was me.”

“Oh, wow. I’m not sure if that was a good idea for a dare. I mean, those hurt! And, Merula didn’t do anything wrong, did she?”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Charlie responded. “I don’t want her to figure out it was me, but now I’m starting to feel like I never should have done it in the first place.”

“Well, there’s no use dwelling on it now that it’s been done.” Y/N sighed.

“I suppose you’re right. Now, there was something I wanted to ask you about last night.” Charlie said mysteriously. “Who did you want to kiss?”

Y/N was surprised. “Er…”

“Was it Penny?” Charlie guessed.

“No.”

“It wasn’t Tonks, was it?” 

“No.”

“Was it-” Charlie started again.

“Charlie, it was Chiara.” Y/N interrupted, blushing.

“Wait, seriously?” Charlie asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you certain? I mean, she is a werewolf. Isn’t that kind of strange?”

“Yes, Charlie. I know that perfectly well. I don’t know how you found out, but it makes no difference.”

During this, Chiara had been reading on the sunny grounds. She had just decided it would be good for her to go in and have a bit of lunch. As she walked past the greenhouses on her way back up to the castle, she heard voices coming from near a greenhouse ahead of her. When she recognized Y/N’s voice, she stopped dead.

“What about Tulip?” A voice she thought may have been a Weasley said.

“Charlie, I love her, and you can’t change my mind. I don’t care if you think she’s weird.” Chiara heard Y/N respond scathingly.

Chiara stepped away from the greenhouse, stunned. There it was, she thought. Y/N had been talking about Tulip after all. It seemed Penny and Tonks had been wrong. Chiara felt numb. She resumed walking in a daze, making sure to stay well away from the greenhouses.

ooOoo

Back in his dorm, Y/N felt incredibly frustrated. He had been secretly in love with Chiara for a while now, but he had no reason to believe she felt anything toward him. After his conversation with Charlie, Y/N wasn’t sure if he wanted to keep pining after Chiara the way he had been. Andre had said that fourth year was the year most students started dating. Was it time for him to explore other options?

No, he thought, that won’t do. I won’t be able to enjoy dating anyone else while I’m still thinking about Chiara this way. But what could he do? Y/N wanted Chiara so much it hurt sometimes. But, he knew he didn’t want to risk their friendship by saying anything to her that would make her feel weird. 

Y/N sighed. Why was this so complicated? Most things had come somewhat easily to him. Or if not, there had always been a clear way to improve, such as studying more. But this situation had him stumped. There seemed like no good options. He knew he would feel furious with himself if she started going out with someone else, but he didn’t want to get rejected. Perhaps he would keep trying to spend time near her, and envision asking her out. If he felt like he could do it, he would consider doing it for real. If he felt too nervous, he’d simply try to forget his feelings for Chiara and continue with his life at Hogwarts. Y/N decided he’d take a break from this, and go spend a bit of time in a place he always enjoyed.

Meanwhile, Tonks and Penny were returning from their respective Sunday activities (Studying for Tonks, and a Potions Club meeting for Penny.) They had ran into each other on the way to the dormitory, and so entered the common room together.

“You sure study a lot for being such a troublemaker, Tonks.” Penny laughed.

“Well, you need top marks to become an auror!” Tonks replied as they crossed the room toward the staircase that led to the dorm. “And you spend so much time brewing potions, I think it’s clear what we each are going to be once we leave Hogwarts!” 

“Absolutely!” Penny said as they reached the stairs and began to descend. “We know what Chiara’s going to be, too.”

“She’ll be a brilliant Healer!” Tonks replied, beginning to push open the door. “Wotcher, Chiara! We were just talking about what-” The words caught in her throat as she took in the sight of Chiara lying on her bed, her eyes red and swollen. She had clearly been crying for quite a while. “Chiara, what’s going on?”

“You two were wrong.” Chiara choked out. “I heard Y/N talking to Charlie. He said that he loved Tulip.” She said, breaking down again. 

Penny and Tonks looked at each other. 

“Well, what now?” Tonks whispered, concerned.

“I’m not sure, honestly.” Penny admitted quietly. “I didn’t expect this, and I don’t have any idea what made Chiara think Y/N said that. We know he doesn’t like Tulip the way he likes Chiara. The only thing I know is that we’re back on the case of the mutual piners!”

“It’s a mystery case?” Tonks asked, slightly confused. “What are we investigating?”

“We’re investigating why our two friends can’t realize that they're madly in love with each other.” Penny replied, rolling her eyes at the situation as they retreated to the common room so Chiara could have some peace and quiet. 

Penny and Tonks spent the afternoon brainstorming ideas. They discussed trying to convince Chiara to tell Y/N how she felt, trying to have them go on a date in Hogsmeade, trying to get them alone together in a private setting, and even hinting to Y/N about someone who had feelings for him. None of those seemed quite right, however. 

Reluctantly, Penny said “Maybe it’d be best if we let it play out a bit. Let them just go on with their lives. We’re only in fourth year, after all. We’ve got time.”

“Perhaps you’re right, Penny. But, we need to figure out a way to help Chiara realize that Y/N’s not in love with Tulip. If she thinks that for too long, she’ll just get depressed.” 

“That’s true, Tonks. Why don’t we go talk to Y/N and see what we can find out about what happened earlier?” Penny suggested.

They went to search for Y/N, but couldn’t find him anywhere they looked. “He could be in his dorm.” Tonks said. “But why would he be in there for so long on a Sunday?”

“I don’t know, Tonks. That doesn’t sound like him. He’s normally either studying or out having fun on weekends. But, we checked the Library and all across the grounds, and he wasn’t there. He’s not in the Great Hall, he’s not in the common room, he’s not in the Magical Creatures Reserve… where is he?”

Y/N was on the roof of the castle. He had transformed into his eagle form, and had flown up there to relax a bit. He had always enjoyed the view of the surrounding mountains, and the feel that he was away from everything happened below. Y/N was in his own little world, so to speak. He was still dwelling a bit on his feelings about Chiara. But, suddenly, Y/N had an idea. He would go back down to the castle and spend some time with his friends. What better way was there to take his mind off the situation than by having a bit of time spent with good friends?

He transformed back into his eagle form, and flew down toward the Hufflepuff common room. As he descended, he noticed the window was open. Spontaneously, he decided he would fly straight through the window into the room. He dove toward the opening, and sped into the common room, greatly startling a certain blonde potion-maker and pink-haired Metamorphmagus. 

After not being able to locate Y/N, Penny and Tonks had been chatting about their recent Charms class, mostly just to have something to talk about that wasn’t related to the drama between Y/N and Chiara. But, as they recognized the large eagle that had nearly scalped the two of them, they realized this was not to be.

“Y/N! We were looking for you!” Penny said as the eagle turned back into the tall curse-breaker.

“But it appears you found us instead.” Tonks grumbled, irritated.

“Yes, sorry about that.” Y/N said, flashing his signature smile. “Perhaps I should be more careful.”

“You really should.” Tonks said.

“Y/N, you should be careful about what you say!” Penny cut in. “Apparently, Ch- er, someone heard you talking to Charlie earlier. They thought you said you loved Tulip!”

Y/N was horror-struck.

“That’s not what I said at all! Charlie was asking me about who I was talking about when I said there was someone at the table I wanted to kiss. I told him it was Chiara, and he didn’t like that for some reason. He said ‘What about Tulip?” and-” Y/N stopped abruptly. He knew what the person who had overheard the conversation must have thought. “I said I love her, and I don’t care what he thinks. That must have sounded like I was talking about Tulip.” Y/N finished.

Penny and Tonks shared a glance.

“You two know how I feel about Chiara. But I just don’t feel like she’s ever going to like me the way I like her.” Y/N said dispiritedly. “I was thinking about finally telling her, but I really don’t want to ruin our friendship because she doesn’t feel the same way toward me that I do toward her. Does that make sense?”

“It does make sense, Y/N.” Penny said, fighting back a grin. This looked like it might be far easier than she had thought. “You two have a good friendship, but you’re never going to know how she feels about you if you don’t ask.” 

“I suppose that’s true, Penny. I think I’ve waited long enough. I need to know one way or the other.” Y/N said bravely. “I could wait forever, and not know for sure. I’m going to do it.”

“That’s the spirit, Y/N!” Tonks said eagerly, seemingly having forgotten all about nearly having her head taken off. “If you like, we’ll help you, too!” 

“That would be wonderful.” Y/N said sincerely. Now, the next thing he needed to do was to figure out all the details necessary to put his plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if there's anyone out there reading this, but if there is, thanks for reading!


	7. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N sets up his plan, and has a meeting with a familiar foe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone! Or in this case, maybe it's more appropriate to say happy end of 2020! :)

The first thing Y/N had done to prepare was to ask Penny to tell Chiara that there had been a misunderstanding, and Y/N hadn’t actually meant what Chiara had thought. This left Chiara feeling very confused. She didn’t know what to think anymore. 

Y/N, Penny, and Tonks had decided to wait until the following weekend, as it didn’t seem smart to plan something like this during a week full of classes. Y/N felt full of nerves every time he saw Chiara (which was quite a lot, considering they were in the same House and shared most classes). Penny and Tonks were mostly just excited. Y/N wondered why he didn’t feel more excited, too. After all, this could be an incredibly exciting thing for him, finally talking to Chiara about this. But, for some reason, he couldn’t shake off the anxiety.

“Are you feeling okay, Y/N L/N?” Tulip asked one day after Transfiguration.

“Yes, Tulip. I’m all right. I’m just a bit nervous.”

“If all it is is nerves, you must be more than a bit nervous. You’ve been jumpy and distracted whenever I’ve seen you the last few days. What’s going on?” Tulip inquired.

Y/N looked around to make sure no one was in the vicinity, then answered.

“Well, this weekend I’m planning to talk to Chiara about something very important.”

“What is it?”

“Er… I’m going to tell her how I really feel about her. You might have already guessed this, but that night at the Three Broomsticks, I was talking about her. I suppose I’m more nervous than just a bit.” Y/N admitted.

“First off, that’s brilliant, Y/N! And second, why are you so nervous about that? That seems like something to be excited about.” Tulip responded.

“I think I’m just nervous that she won’t feel the same way toward me. That it’ll make our friendship weird if I fancy her and she thinks of me as barely a friend. That I’ve been pining for her all this time for nothing. That-”

“Stop right there, Y/N L/N.” Tulip interjected. “You can’t go into something like this dreading the worst. And Chiara’s a good person, she’s not going to completely reject you and shut you out if she doesn’t feel the same way toward you. I happen to think she does think of you that way, for what it’s worth.”

Y/N exhaled. “Thanks, Tulip. I do think I needed someone to help me get my head screwed on straight.”

“Oh, I’m not done yet.” Tulip replied, smirking. “Let’s go have lunch together in the Great Hall.”

“Is that a suggestion, or an order?” Y/N asked with a smile.

“What do you think, Y/N L/N?”

ooOoo

It was rather nice, Y/N thought, to be able to distract himself from worrying about the weekend with encouragement from a friend. Or perhaps encouragement wasn’t the right word.

“-you must remember that above all, Chiara’s your friend. She’ll continue to be that regardless of if you feel differently than her. Also, try to think of the right time and place to do it. And you can’t set it up properly alone, either. You should get someone to help you prepare.” Tulip continued, focusing more on lecturing than eating. The two of them were sitting near the end of the Hufflepuff table to have a bit of privacy.

“Actually, Tulip. I already have that part covered. Penny and Tonks are going to help me plan it.” Y/N said.

Tulip looked slightly surprised. “Well, that’s good! They probably know the two of you the best, as you’re all in the same House. 

“I’m just hoping Chiara fancies me as well. I’m really not too concerned about all the details.” Y/N admitted.

“I suppose that makes sense, Y/N. Just try to think positive, okay? I think it’ll go well.” Tulip said. 

“I will, Tulip. Thanks for your help.”

“Anytime, Y/N L/N.”

As Y/N walked out of the Great Hall, he did feel slightly more positive. Lectures did seem more enjoyable when they were delivered from one of his good friends rather than a professor, let alone Professor Binns.

Y/N thought about what Tulip had said on his way back to the common room. It did seem smart to think positive, but it was difficult to not allow any negative thoughts into his brain. He hoped Tulip was right that Chiara would stay his friend no matter what. He thought it was likely that this was true, also. It did seem that Chiara cared about him, and it didn’t seem like her personality to ditch a friend over something like this. He knew she cared deeply about having close friends.

Once Y/N had returned to the common room, he noticed that it was empty. That was odd. Where was everyone? Then, something clicked into place. Everyone was in class! He should have gone straight to his next lesson after lunch, not the common room! He shot a panicked glance at the clock on the wall. 1:10. He was already ten minutes late for Potions! How on earth had he forgotten? Y/N grabbed his school bag, and dashed out the door toward the Potions classroom.

As he arrived, sweating, Snape looked up from his desk. “L/N. You are fifteen minutes late, so it’ll be fifteen points from Hufflepuff. Sit down. Your classmates have already started brewing.”

Y/N flung himself into his seat, still angry that he had managed to forget he had a lesson after lunch, of all things. Rowan Khanna looked up, looking somewhat worried.

“What happened, Y/N? Why were you late?”

“It’s a long story, Rowan. I’ll tell you after class. What are we brewing?”

“It’s a review of the Forgetfulness Potion.” Rowan responded.

Y/N cursed internally. That was ironic. “Thanks, Rowan.” Y/N said, beginning to gather the necessary equipment and ingredients. Y/N was able to finish the potion just in time after rushing a bit, but he didn’t feel like he had done very well on it.

Of course, at that moment, Snape approached his cauldron. “L/N. Is that really your potion?” He said, as he sniffed the potion with his hooked nose.

“Unfortunately, Professor.” 

“In the past, you have proven yourself to not be as incompetent as I initially believed you were. However, this is utter rubbish.” Snape said, to the general pleasure of the Slytherins in the class.   
:If you do not improve drastically in the next lesson, you will receive detention.” Just then, the bell rang. “Class dismissed.”

Y/N cursed to himself again. He had worked hard to get on Snape’s good side, but it appeared he had just set himself back quite a bit. He bitterly packed up his things, and prepared to leave. As he exited the classroom, it was to find an unexpected classmate waiting for him.

“L/N. It seems like your luck finally ran out, eh?” Merula Snyde said, laughing.

“Merula. I just had one bad class.” Y/N responded.

“Well, I suppose you would come up with an excuse like that. We both know who the superior potion brewer is. For that matter, we know who the superior witch or wizard is, too.” Merula jabbed.

“What did I do to make you hate me, Merula?” Y/N asked simply. 

Merula was caught off guard. “I- er, you’re just like your brother. You keep messing with the vaults. And, you’re always trying to embarrass me.”

“Merula, I’ve never once tried to embarrass you. I’ve only ever defended myself when you’ve challenged me to duels or stood up for my friends when you tried to hurt them. And as, for the vaults, I’m trying to find my brother. I think you know what it feels like to lose a family member to forces that you can’t control. I know it hurts, and no one should have to go through that.” Y/N said sincerely.

Merula was speechless. “You- you don’t know anything about me!” 

Y/N sighed. “I suppose that’s true. But, I would like to. I think I might be able to help you a bit, since no one else knows what it feels like to lose a family member like this. Where they’re not gone, but you can’t reach them.”

“I don’t need your help!” Merula shouted.

“I know you don’t need it, Merula. You’ve survived until now without it. But, I’d like it if you gave me a chance. I honestly think it would help both of us.”

Merula was silent. “So, what do you think?” Y/N prodded after a while.

“L/N, I swear if you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you.” 

“Merula, I promise you won’t regret it.”

“You better not make me regret it, or else.”

“Deal.”

ooOoo

Y/N hadn’t felt as free as he did that evening for quite a while. It felt good to begin helping someone that he believed had good hidden under her tough outer appearance. He had eventually caught up with Rowan and told him about why he had been late to class, and Rowan had wished him the best. It also felt good to have so many supportive friends who cared so much about him.

The next day, Y/N set up his plan with Tonks and Penny. He would send Chiara a message asking if they could talk down by the Lake. Y/N would keep it simple overall, planning to set up a casual conversation, and eventually admit to her how he really felt. Everything was coming into place. 

Saturday came. Everything was looking good. Then, Chiara declined the invitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know this one was very dialogue-heavy. Yes, I know it featured characters that haven't been included much so far. Yes, I know it went quite a bit off topic. And yes, I'm sorry to end on a cliffhanger, but all will be explained in the next chapter. Both Tulip and Merula will be featured quite a bit more as the story progresses.


	8. What friends are for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N finds out why Chiara declined the invitation.

Why had Chiara declined the invitation? She had woken up on Saturday feeling horrendously ill, and had immediately gone to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had deemed that she had a bad case of the flu, and it seemed bad. Chiara had received the invitation from Y/N about an hour after she had been admitted to the hospital. She hadn’t known what to think about this, but she knew perfectly well that Madam Pomfrey would never let her go, and she was in no fit condition to be around others anyway.

So, Chiara was instead confined to the hospital wing. It was frustrating to be cooped up inside when she knew she would end up fine, but Chiara took the time to dwell on the mysterious invitation. Why was Y/N wanting to talk to her? And why had he sent an invitation instead of just coming to find her? What was going on?

Meanwhile, Y/N had gone from anxious initially, to excited after his meetings with Tulip and Merula, to downright depressed. He didn't want to eat, he didn't want to sleep, he didn't know what to do. Y/N knew he shouldn't read too much into this, but it was incredibly disappointing to be looking forward to something like this and have it canceled.

He had been feeling like everything was going right for once. The only thing he had been dreading was Chiara not feeling the same as him. But this? It was completely unexpected, and in some ways worse for Y/N than it would have been for him to find out they viewed their relationship differently. 

If that had happened, at least Y/N would have known. He would have been able to stop pining, and continue on with his life at Hogwarts. Instead, he had to keep wondering. Doubts started creeping in again, too. 

“What if I really did do something that upset her which made her get angry at me after Herbology?” “What if that’s making her avoid me?” “What if she just doesn’t want to talk to me?” “Why would that be?” “What could be making her decline?” And so on. He was lost in the so-called deep, dark jungle of ‘what if’.

Y/N was in his dormitory, alone. Just sitting on top of the sheets on his bed, thinking. He had returned after Chiara had responded that she couldn’t make it, and would tell him why the next time she saw him. Was she just buying herself time to come up with an excuse for not being there? Y/N had felt so good just an hour before, and now he just didn’t know what to do. Luckily for him, he had friends to help him out. 

The dormitory door creaked open, startling Y/N. However, he was even more startled to see who had opened it. 

There was a crowd of people outside the door. Standing up quickly, he was able to see Penny, Tonks, Tulip, Rowan, Andre, Charlie, Barnaby, and even Bill Weasley (presumably off prefect duties for now) and Skye Parkin, his fellow Hufflepuff Chaser.

Y/N was shocked. “What are you all doing here?”

Skye rolled her eyes. “Y/N, I’m glad you’re better at Quidditch than you are at reading situations. We’re here for you!”

“What do you mean?” Y/N asked, confused.

“You’re coming with us to Hogsmeade, and then we’re all going to play Gobstones, and then you’re heading off to practice Quidditch with Skye, Charlie, and Andre.” Penny announced matter-of-factly. 

“Am I?” Y/N said, a smile beginning to form on his face.

“Indeed you are.” Bill said. “And if you try to get out of it, I’ll do my best to get you put in detention.” He added, grinning.

“Well, what are we waiting for, everyone?” Tonks asked. “Let’s go!”

Y/N had the best day he had had in a long time. From laughing along with everyone at Tonks’ jokes, to spending time with Skye outside of Quidditch, to witnessing two of the best Gobstones matches he had ever seen. One was between Bill (who had more experience) and Charlie (who was incredibly motivated to beat his older brother). The other was between Tulip and Skye. This match involved the best Gobstones-related trash talk Y/N had ever heard, as both Tulip and Skye were fiercely competitive, and not afraid to show their confidence. Y/N could hardly remember feeling as happy as he was during nearly the entire day. 

It was fantastic to get back to flying, and there was no small amount of friendly banter between Charlie, Andre, and the two Hufflepuff chasers about whose team would win the Quidditch Cup this year. Charlie had apologized to him before they began their practice, saying he was sorry he had reacted the way he did and wishing Y/N the best with Chiara. As Y/N returned to the Hufflepuff common room that evening, he wondered if he had ever had as good a day in his life. It had started out terribly, but he was incredibly grateful to his friends for coming to his rescue. He had to admit, he really had needed to be rescued from his own thoughts. As he reached the common room at last, he was immediately greeted by Penny. 

“Hi, Y/N! How was Quidditch?” She chirped brightly from a sofa in front of the fire.

“It was excellent, Penny.” Y/N responded sincerely. “I haven’t had such a good day in a very long time.”

“That’s fantastic, Y/N! I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Penny said happily.

“I really did. I think I might have an idea of who was behind it, too.” Y/N said, raising his eyebrows at her.

“I think you might, too.” Penny said quietly, glancing away. She heard quick footsteps behind her, and a moment later she found herself being enveloped into a heartfelt hug by the curse-breaker.

“Thank you.” He murmured. And that was all she needed to hear. 

After a few peaceful minutes sitting next to each other, rehashing the day’s activities, Penny decided it was the right time to tell him. 

“Y/N, I found out what happened to Chiara a few minutes before you came in. She’s in the hospital wing.”

ooOoo

Y/N was sprinting. Flying down the long corridor toward yet another staircase, he cursed the great distance between the Hufflepuff common room and the hospital wing. Why did it have to be so far? At this point, he didn’t care that Chiara seemed uninterested in him. He just hoped she was all right. Y/N felt a bit guilty for leaving Penny as quickly as he had, but he knew that he had to see if Chiara was okay as soon as possible. 

Y/N finished climbing another staircase three steps at a time, and at long last emerged in front of the door to the hospital wing. Bursting through the door, he heard a shriek of surprise.

“Mr. L/N, what on earth are you doing?” Madam Pomfrey asked, bewildered.

Doubled up trying to catch his breath and clutching a stitch in his side, Y/N gasped out “I was looking for Chiara.”

“Well, you’ve found her. Next time, there will be no need to be in such a hurry!” Madam Pomfrey scolded.

Y/N looked around immediately. There she was, looking nearly as surprised as Madam Pomfrey. Walking over to her, Y/N asked, still wheezing slightly, “Are you okay, Chiara?”. 

Not exactly sure what to make of this, Chiara replied “Yes, Y/N. I have the flu, but I’ll be fine in a few days.”

Y/N felt rather embarrassed. He now wished he had waited for Penny to tell him why Chiara was in the hospital wing before he had dashed away. “Er, okay. I’m glad you’re alright.” He said awkwardly. 

“Mr. L/N, I’m going to have to ask you to leave now.” Madam Pomfrey interjected.

“What? I just got here!” Y/N replied indignantly. 

“I’m aware of that, Mr. L/N. However, visiting hours are long since over. Also, as I’m sure you know, if you stay around someone who has the flu for too long, it’s likely you’ll become infected as well. I’m sure you’d like to avoid that.” 

Y/N sighed. “I suppose you’re right, Madam Pomfrey. I hope you feel better, Chiara.” He said, making his way back to the door. 

This left Chiara feeling confused again, but she also felt (could it be?) a little bit hopeful that Penny and Tonks were actually right.

Later, back in the common room, Y/N and Penny were talking again. 

“I burst into the hospital wing, startling Madam Pomfrey and Chiara, only to find out she just had the flu.” Y/N recounted. “It was rather embarrassing.”

“Well, Y/N, I think the best thing that may come of this is that Chiara can see that you care enough about her to come running to the hospital wing when you heard she was there.” Penny said thoughtfully.

“I hope you’re right, Penny.” Y/N responded.

“I hope so too.” Penny yawned. I’m nearly ready for bed. Is there anything else you think you need to do tonight?” Penny asked.

“Actually, now that you mention it, there is one more thing I’d like to do before I go to bed. It shouldn’t take too long, so if you stay up for just a bit, I’ll tell you about it when I get back.” Y/N said.

“Or perhaps I’ll just sleep here and wait for you.” Penny joked, indicating the couch by the fire.

“Ah, not a bad idea.” Y/N said, smiling and departing. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Y/N had wanted to talk to Merula before turning in for the night, but as he exited the Hufflepuff common room, he realized he had no idea where to find her. He couldn’t exactly walk into the Slytherin common room as a Hufflepuff, and he wasn’t about to try to sneak in just to speak with Merula for a minute. 

So, Y/N decided he’d try over near the dungeons (luckily much closer than the hospital wing) and if he didn’t see Merula, he’d just wait and ask her tomorrow. As he approached the dungeons near the Slytherin common room, Y/N slowed down. He didn’t want to announce his presence too early if there was anyone unfriendly around, especially at nine o’clock in the evening. Looking around, Y/N didn’t see anyone. He decided that he would simply turn back now to avoid any unnecessary trouble. But as he turned around, he found himself face to face with the very girl he had been looking for.

“What are you doing down here, L/N?” Merula asked, looking at him suspiciously.

“Actually, I was looking for you, Merula.” Y/N said, feeling slightly nervous.

“Just because I said you might be able to help me doesn’t mean you get to stalk me.” Merula said, rolling her eyes.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you would meet me down by the Black Lake tomorrow.”

“Why would you ask me to meet you there? And why would I even agree to come in the first place?” Merula challenged.

“It’s a good place to talk when you don’t want to be overheard, and I thought it’d be good for both of us if we kept this private. And Merula, you already agreed to let me help you. So, meet me tomorrow at noon since we don’t have classes on Sunday. If you don’t like it, or you think it’s a waste of time, then after tomorrow you don’t have to do anything else and I’ll leave you alone. Just give me one chance to help you.” Y/N said.

“You’re such a Hufflepuff, L/N. It’s almost unbearable at times.” Merula said.

“So will you be there?”

“I’ll say the same thing as I said before, L/N. You better not make me regret this.”

“You won’t, Merula. I promise.” Y/N said sincerely.

“Good. Now let me get some sleep!” Merula responded.

“See you tomorrow!”


	9. Meeting with Merula

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N meets Merula at the Black Lake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interestingly enough, I've discovered that I seem to be at my creative peak at approximately 3am.

After returning to the Hufflepuff common room, Y/N had proceeded to tell Penny about where he had gone. She'd been very surprised to hear about what Y/N had done. “Why do you want to help Merula, Y/N?” Penny had asked.

“I think she’s lonely. I don’t think she has any real friends, and as we know, her parents are in Azkaban. I know how it feels to lose a family member to something you can’t control. What always helped me when I was having trouble coping with my brother’s disappearance was being around my friends. I never would have been able to really deal with it without others to help me. I don’t think Merula’s ever had that, so I want to at least give her a chance to have someone close to her.” Y/N said sincerely.

Penny was rather taken aback. “That’s very noble of you, Y/N, but how do you know she wants anyone to be close to her?”

“I really don’t, Penny. I don’t think it’ll be easy, but I think it’d be good for her to have someone to confide in so she doesn’t feel like she’s alone.” 

“Well, if anyone could do it, it’s you, Y/N.” Penny said with a smile.

“I hope you’re right, Penny. I think it’d be a good idea for me to go to bed, because there’s something I’d like to do in the morning before I meet with Merula.” Y/N said.

“Okay, good night, Y/N. Good luck.”

“Good night, Penny. And thank you!”

The next morning, Y/N arose after a fitful two hours of sleep. He had not been able to fall asleep until hours after midnight. Try as he might, Y/N had not been able to keep doubts about Chiara from creeping in, made all the worse by his nervousness about his meeting with Merula. Then, he had awoken just after five o’clock and had not been able to fall asleep again through Rowan’s snores. 

As Y/N gently rubbed his aching eyes, he realized it might be in his best interest to go up to the common room to wait for breakfast rather than wait in the dormitory and listen to Rowan snoring. After dressing quietly, Y/N made his way up the staircase and into the Hufflepuff common room. And who should he find, sleeping peacefully on the large sofa, but Chiara Lobosca.

Y/N’s heart leapt into his throat. Chiara was back already? What was going on? Shouldn’t she still be in the hospital wing? Y/N’s thoughts raced. Then, his nervousness hit a peak as he noticed her eyelids begin to flutter. Then, Chiara’s eyes opened fully. Y/N felt sick. He didn’t understand why just seeing Chiara was making him so nervous. “Y/N?” Chiara asked sleepily.

“Er, yes, it’s me, Chiara.” Y/N replied awkwardly. “Are you feeling alright?” 

“Yes. Madam Pomfrey was able to cure me a bit after you left.”

“That’s good.” Y/N said, not sure what to say. “Why are you sleeping here instead of in the dormitory?”

“I didn’t want to wake anyone up. So, when I got back and found the common room deserted, I decided I’d rest here for a while and I suppose I fell asleep.” Chiara said sheepishly. “Why are you up so early?” She added, glancing at the clock.

“I didn’t get much sleep, so when I woke up I decided to wait until it was time for breakfast up here rather than listen to Rowan snoring.” Y/N said, chuckling. 

It was nice to be able to talk to Chiara again. She had always been so peaceful and pleasant to be around. Y/N hadn’t enjoyed being so nervous around her. As their conversation flowed, time passed quickly, and it was eventually time for breakfast. As the two Hufflepuffs made their way into the Great Hall together, Y/N mentioned his plan for meeting with Merula.

“You’re getting together with Merula?” Chiara asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Well, I think she’s rather lonely. It seems to me she could use a friend or someone to be closer to.”

“Oh. Well, that’s nice of you.” Chiara said. However, her tone of voice didn’t reflect her words. Her voice had suddenly become rather cold, something very unusual to hear from Chiara. Unknown to Y/N, she was jealous. 

Y/N wasn’t sure how to respond to this, so he busied himself with sitting down and pouring himself a goblet of pumpkin juice, as they had reached the Hufflepuff table. Thankfully, at that moment, they were interrupted by Tonks. “Wotcher, Y/N, Chiara! How are you two doing?”

“I’m doing really well, Tonks.” Y/N replied, gratefully seizing the excuse. “I’m doing good too.” Chiara said flatly. 

Tonks was surprised. “Okay. You don’t really sound like yourself, though.”

“Really?” Chiara said moodily. 

“You really don’t, Chiara. Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” Y/N interjected. 

“There’s nothing wrong with me. But, there must be something wrong with you if you’d rather hang out with Merula than me and your friends.” Chiara jabbed.

“Chiara, what-” Tonks started, but halted as Y/N raised a hand, asking her to stop.

“Chiara, I’ve always wanted to spend time with you. Always. Ever since we got to Hogwarts. But you’ve never let me get closer to you. If you want me to spend time with you now, after all this time,” Y/N said, his voice beginning to crack, “I’d be happy to. But it’ll have to wait until after I meet with Merula. I told her I would meet her at noon and I’m going to.”

Chiara was speechless. She knew she had tried to stay somewhat distanced from Y/N, but Chiara had never realized he had actually wanted to spend time with her this much. As Chiara thought through this, tears began to well up in her eyes. She didn’t want Y/N and Tonks to see her start crying, so she got up and walked quickly out of the Great Hall, shielding her face.

Y/N felt overwhelmed. He didn’t think he had ever felt so many conflicting emotions in his life. He felt sad about how Chiara was acting. He felt happy that she did actually want to spend time with him. He felt disappointed that there had been yet another conflict between them, right after they had been having such a nice time together. He still felt anxious about the prospect of seeing Merula, and about how he had been planning to talk to Chiara about how he really felt about her before she had gotten the flu. Above all, he felt frustrated, and even a bit angry.

“Why is it that now whenever Chiara and I start having a good time together, it ends up turning into a fiasco?” Y/N growled to no one in particular.

“I don’t know, Y/N.” Tonks said, slightly alarmed at what was going on between Y/N and Chiara. At that moment, a familiar face framed by blonde hair appeared over Tonks’ shoulder. 

“Hello, Y/N! How are you today?” Penny Haywood asked cheerfully, clearly unaware of what had gone on between Chiara and him.

Y/N nearly laughed at the question. “Honestly, Penny? Terrible.”

“Really?” Penny said, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

Tonks came to the rescue, as Y/N couldn’t bear to go over the story again. “Well, Y/N was apparently talking to Chiara and it was going well. Then- er, what happened that irritated her, Y/N?”

“I told her about how I was going to meet Merula at noon and she got offended, I guess.” Y/N said. 

“And then what?” Penny asked, hanging on every word.

“So, I asked Chiara if anything was wrong.” Tonks said. “She said there was nothing wrong with her, but there must be something wrong with Y/N if he wanted to spend time with Merula instead of her and his friends.” She finished, glancing concernedly at Y/N.

“That’s not fair at all! Y/N’s doing something really nice for Merula. Why would-” Penny began, but then she realized. “Y/N, I think I understand what’s going on.”

“That’s good, because I sure don’t.” Y/N said irritably. 

“Chiara’s jealous.”

“What? She’s jealous I’m spending time with Merula? I’ve been trying to spend time with Chiara for the past four years! How can she be jealous I’m spending time with other people?” Y/N said, incredulous.

“I don’t quite understand that part, either. But, I know Chiara very well. The only things that really get her upset are when things are unfair, when people are being mean to each other, and when she’s jealous. And this sounds like a perfect example of her being jealous.”

Y/N was starting to get a headache. He didn’t know what to think about all of this. “Listen, Penny, I appreciate the help, but I’ve got to get going. There’s something I need to do before noon.”

ooOoo

After visiting Hogsmeade to pick up a bar of Honeydukes’ best chocolate, Y/N made his way to the Black Lake. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, but he thought he’d give it a go. If it helped Merula, it would be all the better for both of them. Y/N certainly wouldn’t mind fewer insults coming his way in the future.

As he arrived, Y/N saw Merula standing near the edge of the water, arms crossed over her chest.

“You’re late, L/N.” Merula said as he approached.

‘It is… eleven fifty-five.” Y/N responded, consulting his watch.

“You still should have been here earlier.” 

“Okay, fair enough. If it would help, I did bring you a small present?”

“Really?” Merula asked, caught off guard. “What?”

Y/N pulled out the chocolate bar. “This.”

Merula didn’t say anything for a moment. “It’s Honeydukes’ best chocolate and-” Y/N began, slightly nervous now.

“I know what it is, L/N. But how did you know I love chocolate?” Merula interrupted.

“Er, I didn’t. But I’m glad you do like chocolate.” Y/N said, chuckling.

Merula rolled her eyes. “I wish I had your luck, L/N. Now why exactly am I here?” She asked, taking the chocolate.

“I thought it could help both of us if we talked just a bit about what it’s been like living without certain family members.”

“If you want me to start talking about my feelings with you, L/N, you’re out of luck.” Merula snorted.

“I figured you’d say something like that. You don’t need to talk about your feelings if you don’t want to. I just wanted to tell you a short story about something that happened to me. If you like, we’ll keep this very short.”

“I suppose that doesn’t sound terrible.” Merula relented.

“Okay.” Y/N said, sitting down on a tree stump across from where Merula was perched on a large, flat rock. “So, the story I wanted to tell you begins when I got to Hogwarts. I didn’t know anyone except for Rowan, who I had met in Diagon Alley. It wasn’t easy for me to get to know people, either. Everyone knew me as the brother of Jacob. Almost everyone assumed I was cursed.”

“I’m not really interested in your life story, L/N.” Merula interjected.

“I’m getting to the part I wanted to tell you about. So, I was rather depressed when I got to Hogwarts. I was also somewhat angry. I knew that all of this could have been avoided if my brother had made better choices when he was at school. Even though he wasn’t around anymore, he was still affecting my life. Does that sound familiar at all? Have people assumed negative things about you because of your family?

“I guess so.” Merula said defensively. “L/N, if you’re trying to imply-” 

“Merula, I’m on your side here. I’m not implying anything. I just asked a question. I didn’t ask you to come here to embarrass you.” Y/N said honestly.

“Fine. Continue then.”

“What I’m saying is for the most part people didn’t see me for who I was. They just heard I was related to Jacob and didn’t bother getting to know me. In fact, most people tried to stay away from me. This made me really frustrated. The thing that helped me the most was making friends. I spent time with Rowan, and a bit later I met Penny. That was the best part of my first year. I also wanted to find a way to bring my brother back, so I started searching for the Cursed Vaults, as you know. It was good for me to have two good friends to rely on during this. It helped me feel like there were others I could trust. Maybe I didn’t have to be alone.

“What happened next?” Merula blurted. “Not that I care.” She added, flushing.

“I started feeling happier. I was unhappy all the time during my first year. But after I made two good friends, more followed. For me, it feels good to know there are others you can depend on. For you, it might be different. I just want you to consider the possibility of letting others help you sometimes. I know it’s tough having people look at you and see your family members instead of looking for the real you. I’ve experienced it. I think it makes you even stronger to have other people around you who can help you. And could you imagine if the most powerful witch at Hogwarts got even stronger?” Y/N joked.

Merula smiled ever so slightly. 

“I’m only going to say this once, L/N, so listen up.”

Y/N waited eagerly.

“Thank you.” Merula said.

Y/N was shocked. He’d never heard Merula say anything like that before, let alone talk in such a quiet, kind voice. 

“For what?”

“No one’s ever understood before. It’s terrible having people look at you and see a Death Eater’s child.”

“You’re welcome, Merula.” Y/N said softly.

“If you really think it’s such a good idea, I guess I could try letting you spend a little more time with me. But I’m not going to call you my friend. You have to earn that first.” Merula said.

“Seems fair to me.” Y/N responded.

Standing up to leave, Merula said “Well, this was less terrible than I expected, L/N.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Y/N said, grinning. “So, would it be alright with you if we did something similar to this next weekend?”

“I suppose, L/N. But don’t get any crazy ideas.” Merula warned.

“No need to worry, Merula. Just remember I’m on your side, okay?”

“Okay. See you next weekend, I suppose.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”


	10. At long last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/N can't sleep. And, something unexpected happens...

That evening, Y/N couldn’t get to sleep. Nothing he did made a difference. He had expected it to be easy to fall asleep after sleeping a mere two hours the night before, but his mind was too busy thinking about Chiara. Well, now she wanted to spend time with him. That’s good… I guess? Y/N thought. But what took so long? And why did she only mention it after he had said he was planning to meet Merula? Was she really jealous like Penny thought? If she was, why was she jealous? Hadn’t Y/N been hinting up and down that he’d enjoy being around her? Y/N had far too many questions and far too few answers. 

Y/N tried to get to sleep, but with all these questions buzzing around, how could he? As the faint light of dawn began to gradually appear over the mountains surrounding Hogwarts, he gave it up as a bad job. Sure, it was a terrible idea to go into a day of classes with no sleep, but at this point there was nothing to be done.

As Y/N began to dress, his thoughts turned to his day of classes. Today would be no easy Monday, that was for sure. He had Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions. Transfiguration was always demanding, Charms had been getting progressively more difficult, and Potions was taught by Professor Snape, whose snide remarks made the class difficult enough even without the various complicated potions he set them.

Suddenly, Y/N remembered something. Snape had said that he would receive detention if his potion-making did not improve. Y/N groaned. Weren’t his detentions in the Kitchens with Pitts enough? As he was up so early, Y/N made the frustrating but necessary decision to squeeze in a bit of last-minute preparation.

Y/N dragged himself through his first two classes. He managed to perform adequately in Transfiguration and Charms, but not up to his usual standard. As he walked into the Great Hall for lunch, Y/N's tired eyes were nearly blinded by the late-autumn sun streaming down from the bewitched ceiling. Had it always been so bright? 

Sitting down next to Rowan, Y/N placed his head in his hands. He was incredibly tired, but yet he still had Potions before his day of lessons would be finished. Looking over, Rowan noticed the dark circles under Y/N’s blue eyes. It didn’t give his eyes their usual sparkle, that was certain.

“Y/N, what’s going on? You look awful!” He exclaimed.

“Do I?” Y/N asked tiredly. “I probably feel worse.”

“That would be quite an achievement. You have dark circles under your eyes, your hair looks like it was fighting with itself about which direction to go, you’re slumped forward like there’s a weight on your back, and you look like you’re about to fall asleep just sitting here.” 

“Yeah, I am about to fall asleep.” Y/N said, hardly able to carry on a conversation.

A loud clang sounded next to them as a certain pink-haired witch arrived from behind them and sat down. “Sorry.” Tonks said, reaching across the table for the goblet she’d knocked over. Y/N picked it up and handed it to her. 

“Thanks, Y/N.” Tonks smiled. But as she looked at him, her smile disappeared. “Y/N, what on earth happened to you?!” She asked in alarm.

“I haven’t been able to sleep much the last couple nights.” Y/N admitted.

“Why?”

“It’s about Chiara.”

Tonks sighed. “So first it was just nervousness, and then sadness, then it was anxiety, then depression, and now it appears we’ve reached insomnia. Where do we go from here, Y/N?” She asked dryly. 

Y/N managed a weak smile. “Well, I’ve got Potions after lunch, and if I don’t do well, Snape said he’ll give me detention.”

“Wow. So it can actually get worse. I wasn’t even sure it was possible.” Tonks said, rather frustrated.

“I’ve studied a bit, at least.” Y/N offered.

“I sure hope so, with the state you’re in.” Tonks replied. Then she added “Sorry, Y/N, I’m being a bit harsh. I do wish you’d take a bit better care of yourself though.”

“So do I, Y/N.” Rowan interjected.

“I’ll try.” Y/N said. 

Later, on his way out of the Great Hall, Y/N was stopped by Tonks. 

“Y/N, why did something with Chiara make you not be able to fall asleep?” Tonks asked, getting directly to the point. 

“Well, it was about what happened yesterday. How Penny thought she was jealous about me spending a bit of time with Merula. I just couldn’t stop thinking about what that might mean. What would she be jealous about?” Y/N asked.

Tonks restrained herself from rolling her eyes with great difficulty. Maybe because she’s in love with you and doesn’t like the idea of you spending time with other girls very much? She wanted to say. 

“Okay. I just hope you’re doing alright.” Tonks said. But she had made up her mind. Tonks was going to take matters into her own hands. The two idiots couldn’t realize they were in love, she thought. Maybe it was time they got a bit of help.

“I am, Tonks.” Y/N said. “Thanks for checking in on me.”

“No problem.”

As Y/N departed the Great Hall, he began feeling nervous about his Potions lesson. On his way to the dungeon where Potions was held, he clung to the hope that his last-minute studying would come in handy. It would have been much better if he had simply been on time for his last lesson, Y/N thought ruefully. He had put himself in this situation, he thought, where he had to study for a normal lesson that he would have usually had no worries about.

Y/N reached the Potions classroom to find the class gathered outside the door. Apparently Snape hadn’t arrived yet. As he stepped into the group to wait, Y/N heard a whisper from behind him. “L/N!”

Turning, he saw Merula Snyde. “What, Merula?” He whispered back. 

“For what it’s worth, I hope you don’t get detention.” Merula said with the air of getting the worst over with quickly.

Y/N was surprised. “Er, thanks, Merula.”

“Not that I care.” She added.

“Of course not.” Y/N said, fighting the urge to respond irritably. 

Suddenly, a familiar mop of greasy black hair appeared in the midst of the assembled class, seemingly out of nowhere. “Inside.” said Snape.

As the students filed into the room, Snape added “Today, all of you will be making me an antidote to common poisons. Y/N winced. That was described as one of the most difficult fourth-year potions to brew, and they’d never attempted it before. 

“I want each and every one of you to have a completed antidote by the end of class. The required ingredients are in the cupboard, and you each have the necessary instructions in your books. Start.” Snape said.

Y/N tried to stay calm. He knew he had all the skills to brew this potion, but he was nervous. As he gathered ingredients, he thought of Penny. The two of them had spent lots of time brewing potions together. Recalling the relaxed, happy feeling he had while brewing with Penny, Y/N got to work.

As the class period drew to a close, Snape came around to check everyone’s potions. 

“I think I actually did pretty well, Merula.” Y/N whispered across the table.

“That’s g- I mean, do you think it matters to me?” Merula hastily corrected herself.

Well, it had been worth a try.

Snape had finally reached their table. “Miss Snyde. Well done.” He said.

Merula flashed a proud grin across the table toward Y/N. Somehow, it seemed less boastful then it may have in the past. 

“Khanna, average.” Snape continued. Rowan looked disappointed. “Don’t worry, Rowan. That means he couldn’t find anything wrong with it.” Y/N whispered supportively.

“And now, L/N. You remember that you will receive detention if your work does not improve?” Snape said.

“Yes, Professor.”

Snape leaned down to examine the potion further. He kept at it for quite a while, too. Y/N began to get nervous again. He tried to recall the mindset he’d had while brewing the antidote. Finally, Snape straightened again. 

“L/N, this antidote appears to be satisfactory.”

Y/N breathed an enormous sigh of relief. “Thank you, Professor.”

“Class dismissed.”

ooOoo

Tonks had decided to help out Y/N and Chiara. Her plan was to hint to Y/N about how Chiara might feel toward him, and finally get them to talk to each other about how they really felt. As Tonks contemplated this in the Hufflepuff common room, on the opposite side of the room, Y/N entered. "Y/N, over here!" She called. “Hello, Tonks.” He said, moving between students and arriving in front of her chair.

“Hello, Y/N.” Tonks responded. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Okay. What is it?” Y/N asked, sitting down across from her. 

“It’s about you and Chiara.” Tonks said. 

Y/N was surprised. “Really?”

“Yes. So, it’s come to my understanding… that she’s in love with you.” Tonks said rather abruptly.

Y/N was even more surprised. “You think so?”

“I know so.” Tonks replied firmly. “I think that it’d be good for you two to realize that you feel the same way about each other, don’t you?”

“I suppose it would.” Y/N said, still somewhat shocked at Tonks’ certainty.

“The two of you need to talk about it. I know you were planning to before she got the flu, but you should try again.”

“Perhaps you’re right, Tonks.” Y/N said, a smile beginning to form on his face. “When do you think we should do this?”

“Tonight.”

“Tonight?” Y/N echoed, in disbelief.

“Yes, tonight. The longer you put it off, the more nervous you’ll get, and the less likely you’ll be to actually do it.” Tonks said adamantly.

Y/N knew that was the truth. “Er, alright.” He said. “So, how should we do this?”

“I think it might work best if I were to ask Chiara to meet with you. Where would you want to talk to her?” Tonks asked.

“How about the Courtyard? I’d rather do it in a place we won’t be disturbed.”

“Good idea. I’ll ask Chiara to be there at seven, does that work?” Tonks said.

“Sounds good, Tonks. Thank you.”

Later, Y/N was waiting for Chiara in the courtyard, his nerves jangling like bells. He had completely forgotten his exhaustion. After so long, he was finally going to find out how Chiara felt toward him. As he watched, sitting on the edge of the fountain, Chiara appeared in the doorway. “Y/N?” She called nervously.

“I’m over here, Chiara.” Y/N said.

Chiara came over and sat down beside him. “What did you want to talk about?” She asked.

“Er, I wanted to talk about relationships. That might sound weird, but it seems like this is an appropriate age for students to start dating, and there’s someone I was considering.” Y/N said.

Chiara’s heart nearly broke at the words. So, Y/N really did have his eye on someone else. She really had been pining for him for nothing.

Y/N wasn’t sure what he’d expected Chiara to say, but he certainly hadn’t expected her to stand up and ask loudly “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?!”

Y/N was temporarily dumbstruck. “I didn’t realize you would care so much.” He finally managed to say. 

“You couldn’t tell?” Chiara asked.

“No!” Y/N said, standing to face Chiara. He was starting to get frustrated himself. “How was I supposed to tell when you never even let me spend time with you?” 

“I didn’t know you wanted to!” Chiara said.

“Really? I had asked you multiple times, and you always had an excuse. I kept hinting even after that, and you never said anything.” Y/N responded.

“I had things to do at those times!” Chiara said.

“Okay, fine. So, do you want me to tell you who it is I’m talking about or not, Chiara?” Y/N said bluntly.

“Yes, I do!”

“First of all, it’s not really true that I’m considering her. I love her. I’ve been asked out a fair number of times, but I’ve only ever liked one girl in this way, and I’ve liked her for quite a while.” Y/N said. Chiara’s heart cracked a bit more.

“Really?” Chiara asked. “Alright, if it’s just one, then who’s the only girl you’ve ever loved?” 

“You.” 

Chiara was confused. “Me, what?”

“I mean, you're the only girl I've ever loved.”

“You love… me?”

“I always have and I always will. I just hope you feel the same about me.”

Well, Y/N thought, there it was. He had finally said it. The situation was now out of his control.

Chiara didn’t know what to say except “I love you too.” Then she was nearly swept off her feet as the curse-breaker pulled her into a hug. 

They stayed that way for quite some time, simply reveling in their newfound shared love. Eventually, they sat down on the edge of the fountain again, and began a conversation. Time flew past as they talked about anything and everything, still in each other’s arms, neither wanting to lose contact with the other for even a moment. 

Then, from behind them, the two heard a greasy voice say “L/N. Miss Lobosca. It is well after curfew. Why are the two of you not in the Hufflepuff common room?” Hastily turning, they saw Professor Severus Snape eying them suspiciously. 

“Er, I suppose we lost track of time, Professor.” Y/N admitted meekly. 

“I suppose so. Come with me.” Snape said, turning and walking back toward the castle, his cloak billowing behind him. He led them directly to the Headmaster’s office behind the stone gargoyles. 

“Wait here.” Snape instructed them, then knocked and entered.

Turning to Chiara, Y/N joked “I thought I had avoided getting detention from Snape for the day, but I guess I might have been wrong.”

“Do you wish we had gone back inside now?” Chiara asked.

Y/N smiled. “I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” He said, leaning in. Wrapping an arm around Chiara’s back, he pressed his lips gently yet firmly to hers. Y/N though he had never felt happier in his life. However, he was proven wrong within a few seconds. The happiest Y/N had ever felt was when Chiara placed a hand around his neck and kissed him back.

Interestingly, that was how Professor Dumbledore found them when he opened his office door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we made it. I apologize if the last few chapters were boring at all, but I thought it set the stage well for this one. I'd appreciate hearing what people think!

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I'll be coming back to this work in the near future, but right now I'm incredibly busy and I just haven't had time to write much. Even with the ridiculously short chapters I write, lol. When I've tried, I've been distracted and the writing's been pretty low quality. I want to produce good quality writing, and for me, right now I need to take a break from writing this and focus on other areas of my life. See you soon!


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